preface
After Yeshua's [Jesus'] resurrection, why did He not return to Jerusalem and show all the Jews that He was indeed their Messiah? Why didn't the Lord immediately appear unto the Sanhedrin and reveal unto them their heinous crime? Why didn't the King of kings show Himself unto Pilate, that Rome might believe and spare Christians the tortures and persecutions of the next three Centuries? Why does He not appear now, and end all the quarreling and bloodshed committed by one religious group against another? Why is He not traveling the world making converts as He traveled in Israel during His earthly ministry? These are excellent questions which have perplexed many a student of the Book for centuries. Why after His resurrection didn't Yeshua appear to all the world and convert them to Christianity?
The apostle Peter revealed that the Christ did indeed show Himself after His resurrection, but not to all the people. Instead, He was shown only to witnesses "chosen" before of GOD (ACTS 10:40,41). In other words, GOD chose which few would be shown the miracle of the resurrected Christ and who would not. The great majority would go about their daily routines hardly aware that the greatest event in human history had come and gone.
So why was His resurrection shown only to a chosen few and why does Yeshua still remain so elusive today? Cannot we discover the answer in our Lord's own words when He revealed that only to some "it is given...to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them [the others] it is not given" (MATTHEW 13:11)? GOD does not reveal HIS mysteries to all, but only to those who have for one reason or another, been chosen to know. In this paper we shall search and see why only some are shown the mysteries of GOD's kingdom, and what if any are the requirements we must fulfill to be able to see and understand.
Yeshua had proclaimed that if they did not believe Moses' writings neither would they believe though one rose from the dead (LUKE 16:31). Contrary to what many suppose, it is the gospel that is the power of GOD unto salvation, (ROMANS 1:16) not the personal presence of Christ. To believe means to change, to repent and set one's life in a new direction. If we believe, then we will change our ways and begin to develop the fruit of the spirit in our lives.
We are tempted to think that if Yeshua just appeared right now, right here, that all men the world over would become better people, that they would act righteously. But according to Yeshua's own words, it isn't so! If one doesn't believe the written testimony, he will most likely not believe if in the actual presence of the Lord.
The mysteries of the kingdom of GOD have never been revealed to all mankind. That is why they are called mysteries. It is thus impossible to make a natural man or a carnal Christian understand the things of the kingdom of GOD. One is only slowly, over time, initiated into these secrets (1 CORINTHIANS 2:6). If one fulfills what is required to understand the mysteries of GOD, it will be given him to understand (MATTHEW 7:7). But this understanding, this sunesis has never been indiscriminately given to all the masses.
Yeshua said that the words He spoke were spirit and life (JOHN 6:63). If you want to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of GOD you must read these words of life. Words of truth, words of GOD, indeed Scripture, contain the mighty transforming process whereby we are able to enter GOD's kingdom.
The Bible gives us a track to run upon, a path to follow. Scripture keeps us on the straight and narrow, so to speak. Those words of GOD are vital for our spiritual life and maturity. Yeshua assured His followers that those who obey His words are building their house upon the rock while those rejecting His words are building their house upon the sand (MATTHEW 7:24-27).
It is only after the word of truth is offered, then believed and obeyed, that one is delivered from the darkness into the light. There has to be a transformation taking place within the heart of a believer, which requires time to accomplish its purpose. We have to receive the word, then act upon what we have received, then await the next receiving.
If we would learn the history lesson that scripture teaches, we would remember that even after all the mighty acts of GOD, when Moses brought the nation of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, that even then many did not believe. After the plagues upon the Egyptians, after the pillars of the cloud and fire, after the crossing the sea upon dry ground, after the manna from heaven, after water gushed out of the rock of flint, it is written, "that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not" (JUDE 5). Just because GOD led them out of bondage, that didn't mean that their future was secure. They still had to remain obedient to HIS words in order to continue to receive HIS blessings.
Thus, to believe simply means that we are to obey (ROMANS 10:16). The two words are nearly synonymous and are often closely tied together in scripture. For instance, how can one believe Jesus is Lord if we don't obey Him as Lord? We may with mental assent say He is Lord, even think He is Lord, but we don't truly believe He is Lord unless we subject our will to His.
Thus the whole world is divided off into two camps; those who are obedient and those who are disobedient; those who are led by the spirit and those who are led by the flesh; those who are sons and those who are bastards. Thus, our true fellowship can only be with those who choose to obey GOD. This is the Fellowship of the Mystery, a fellowship between those to whom GOD has revealed HIS mysteries. As Paul wrote the Corinthians,
"What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?" Fellowship means joint-partaker. It describes the full sharing between two or more individuals. Those who have become righteous through faith cannot fully share or partake with those who have no righteousness, who reject or disobey the gospel. Rather, the Fellowship of the Mystery refers to those who have partaken together of the hidden things of GOD. There is indeed a spiritual fellowship between those who have believed, rather, between those who have obeyed the gospel.
This is the unity of the spirit of which Paul admonished the believers at Ephesus to keep (EPHESIANS 4:3). True fellowship can only be amongst those to whom GOD has revealed HIS mysteries. This is indeed the Fellowship of the Mystery of which Paul spoke of when he wrote to the "faithful in Christ Jesus" (EPHESIANS 3:9). In other words, those who continued in GOD's words learned and grew together while those who neglected HIS word or were unfaithful to that which they had heard, learned less and had their growth stunted.
GOD demands obedience to HIS word and none of us are exempt from that minimal standard. Even Moses to whom the LORD spoke with "face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend" (EXODUS 33:11), didn't get excused. After his long grueling ordeal with the Israelites, wandering forty years in the wilderness, he was himself denied access into the Promised Land because of his disobedience (DEUTERONOMY 32:51).
The lie is craftily sown as tares amongst the wheat, and permeates the Church today. We must maintain an alacrity of mind and always be diligent to measure our thoughts with scripture. We are not secure by just standing firm and unmovable upon the traditions we have been taught. We must remain diligent to continually question what we have come to believe as truth. Every preconceived idea must be measured by the scriptures. Nothing is beyond examination.
Tradition has taught us to think of GOD as only kind, and tender and giving. True, HE is all of these, but HE is much more. HE is also a consuming fire (HEBREWS 12:29). If we ever hope to have the eyes of our understanding enlightened, we must throw off the mental chains of tradition and be willing to look at our Creator through the eyes of scripture. What does scripture say of HIM? How is HE revealed in scripture? This is ultimately all that really matters; this is all that should concern us.
After Yeshua's [Jesus'] resurrection, why did He not return to Jerusalem and show all the Jews that He was indeed their Messiah? Why didn't the Lord immediately appear unto the Sanhedrin and reveal unto them their heinous crime? Why didn't the King of kings show Himself unto Pilate, that Rome might believe and spare Christians the tortures and persecutions of the next three Centuries? Why does He not appear now, and end all the quarreling and bloodshed committed by one religious group against another? Why is He not traveling the world making converts as He traveled in Israel during His earthly ministry? These are excellent questions which have perplexed many a student of the Book for centuries. Why after His resurrection didn't Yeshua appear to all the world and convert them to Christianity?
The apostle Peter revealed that the Christ did indeed show Himself after His resurrection, but not to all the people. Instead, He was shown only to witnesses "chosen" before of GOD (ACTS 10:40,41). In other words, GOD chose which few would be shown the miracle of the resurrected Christ and who would not. The great majority would go about their daily routines hardly aware that the greatest event in human history had come and gone.
So why was His resurrection shown only to a chosen few and why does Yeshua still remain so elusive today? Cannot we discover the answer in our Lord's own words when He revealed that only to some "it is given...to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them [the others] it is not given" (MATTHEW 13:11)? GOD does not reveal HIS mysteries to all, but only to those who have for one reason or another, been chosen to know. In this paper we shall search and see why only some are shown the mysteries of GOD's kingdom, and what if any are the requirements we must fulfill to be able to see and understand.
Yeshua had proclaimed that if they did not believe Moses' writings neither would they believe though one rose from the dead (LUKE 16:31). Contrary to what many suppose, it is the gospel that is the power of GOD unto salvation, (ROMANS 1:16) not the personal presence of Christ. To believe means to change, to repent and set one's life in a new direction. If we believe, then we will change our ways and begin to develop the fruit of the spirit in our lives.
We are tempted to think that if Yeshua just appeared right now, right here, that all men the world over would become better people, that they would act righteously. But according to Yeshua's own words, it isn't so! If one doesn't believe the written testimony, he will most likely not believe if in the actual presence of the Lord.
The mysteries of the kingdom of GOD have never been revealed to all mankind. That is why they are called mysteries. It is thus impossible to make a natural man or a carnal Christian understand the things of the kingdom of GOD. One is only slowly, over time, initiated into these secrets (1 CORINTHIANS 2:6). If one fulfills what is required to understand the mysteries of GOD, it will be given him to understand (MATTHEW 7:7). But this understanding, this sunesis has never been indiscriminately given to all the masses.
Yeshua said that the words He spoke were spirit and life (JOHN 6:63). If you want to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of GOD you must read these words of life. Words of truth, words of GOD, indeed Scripture, contain the mighty transforming process whereby we are able to enter GOD's kingdom.
The Bible gives us a track to run upon, a path to follow. Scripture keeps us on the straight and narrow, so to speak. Those words of GOD are vital for our spiritual life and maturity. Yeshua assured His followers that those who obey His words are building their house upon the rock while those rejecting His words are building their house upon the sand (MATTHEW 7:24-27).
It is only after the word of truth is offered, then believed and obeyed, that one is delivered from the darkness into the light. There has to be a transformation taking place within the heart of a believer, which requires time to accomplish its purpose. We have to receive the word, then act upon what we have received, then await the next receiving.
If we would learn the history lesson that scripture teaches, we would remember that even after all the mighty acts of GOD, when Moses brought the nation of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, that even then many did not believe. After the plagues upon the Egyptians, after the pillars of the cloud and fire, after the crossing the sea upon dry ground, after the manna from heaven, after water gushed out of the rock of flint, it is written, "that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not" (JUDE 5). Just because GOD led them out of bondage, that didn't mean that their future was secure. They still had to remain obedient to HIS words in order to continue to receive HIS blessings.
Thus, to believe simply means that we are to obey (ROMANS 10:16). The two words are nearly synonymous and are often closely tied together in scripture. For instance, how can one believe Jesus is Lord if we don't obey Him as Lord? We may with mental assent say He is Lord, even think He is Lord, but we don't truly believe He is Lord unless we subject our will to His.
Thus the whole world is divided off into two camps; those who are obedient and those who are disobedient; those who are led by the spirit and those who are led by the flesh; those who are sons and those who are bastards. Thus, our true fellowship can only be with those who choose to obey GOD. This is the Fellowship of the Mystery, a fellowship between those to whom GOD has revealed HIS mysteries. As Paul wrote the Corinthians,
- 1 CORINTHIANS 6:14- 7:1 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?....for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
- Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
"What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?" Fellowship means joint-partaker. It describes the full sharing between two or more individuals. Those who have become righteous through faith cannot fully share or partake with those who have no righteousness, who reject or disobey the gospel. Rather, the Fellowship of the Mystery refers to those who have partaken together of the hidden things of GOD. There is indeed a spiritual fellowship between those who have believed, rather, between those who have obeyed the gospel.
This is the unity of the spirit of which Paul admonished the believers at Ephesus to keep (EPHESIANS 4:3). True fellowship can only be amongst those to whom GOD has revealed HIS mysteries. This is indeed the Fellowship of the Mystery of which Paul spoke of when he wrote to the "faithful in Christ Jesus" (EPHESIANS 3:9). In other words, those who continued in GOD's words learned and grew together while those who neglected HIS word or were unfaithful to that which they had heard, learned less and had their growth stunted.
GOD demands obedience to HIS word and none of us are exempt from that minimal standard. Even Moses to whom the LORD spoke with "face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend" (EXODUS 33:11), didn't get excused. After his long grueling ordeal with the Israelites, wandering forty years in the wilderness, he was himself denied access into the Promised Land because of his disobedience (DEUTERONOMY 32:51).
The lie is craftily sown as tares amongst the wheat, and permeates the Church today. We must maintain an alacrity of mind and always be diligent to measure our thoughts with scripture. We are not secure by just standing firm and unmovable upon the traditions we have been taught. We must remain diligent to continually question what we have come to believe as truth. Every preconceived idea must be measured by the scriptures. Nothing is beyond examination.
Tradition has taught us to think of GOD as only kind, and tender and giving. True, HE is all of these, but HE is much more. HE is also a consuming fire (HEBREWS 12:29). If we ever hope to have the eyes of our understanding enlightened, we must throw off the mental chains of tradition and be willing to look at our Creator through the eyes of scripture. What does scripture say of HIM? How is HE revealed in scripture? This is ultimately all that really matters; this is all that should concern us.